What experts said
Lawyers, journalists, academics, and activists testified about the enormous importance of WikiLeaks’ 2010-11 publications. They explained how the Iraq and Afghan War Logs documented previously uncounted civilian casualties, war crimes and the true nature of modern warfare, how the State Department cables exposed backroom corruption and the U.S.’s global influence, and how the Guantanamo Bay files revealed the deceitful justifications used to keep prisoners in detention. These experts testified about using WikiLeaks’ releases in their own work, in crucial legal cases, and in informing the public about what their government was doing in secret.
Why this matters
The U.S. government is attempting to portray Julian Assange as a ‘hacker’ and as someone who wanted to harm the United States, rather than a journalist performing a public service. These experts debunk that smear and show how Julian Assange’s work carries out his ideals, using transparency to achieve justice.
- Clive Stafford Smith explains using WikiLeaks docs in legal cases
- John Goetz: WikiLeaks docs confirm CIA torture & escaping accountability
- John Sloboda: WikiLeaks’ Iraq War Logs exposed 15,000 civilian casualties
- Khaled el-Masri, kidnapped and tortured by the CIA
- Reuters journalist Dean Yates: Assange told us what US wouldn’t
- Patrick Cockburn: WikiLeaks showed the realities of war
- Ian Cobain: Only leaked docs confirm what governments cover up
- Andy Worthington on the value of the Guantanamo Bay prison detainee leaks
- Jameel Jaffer on the importance of publishing government secrets